Hostage Headquarters
by ncis.is.the.best
Summary: Sequel to 'Fix this', which was post Judgement Day. NCIS Headquarters becomes a hostage situation. TIVA.
1. Office Banter

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or the characters. If anyone wants to give them to me, feel free.

Okay. So this is the start of the sequal to 'Fix This'.

You really need to read 'Fix This' to understand this.

Bare with me. Tell me what you think of this chapter and tell me If I should continue. I'm not really sure.

This is just short so you can get an idea of where this is going.

Enjoy.

And please review so I know what to do.

* * *

"Got a case, boss?" Tony asked hopefully. There had been nothing for over three weeks now and deskwork was really getting on Tony's nerves.

"No." Gibbs said, "I guess its deskwork again today, DiNozzo."

Tony groaned. "Why don't McGee and Ziva have to do deskwork?"

Ziva laughed from over at her desk. "Because, my little hairy butt," she said, "we finished ours a week ago."

Tony banged his head down on the desk. "Great. Just great," he looked up suddenly, "what have you been doing for the last week then?"

Ziva shrugged. "Laughing at you. Occasionally looking over cold case files. Laughing at you. Helping other teams with interrogations. Laughing at you," she counted them off on her fingers, "you know, the usual."

"Oh. Ha ha." Tony said bitterly and banged his head on the table.

"You know, Tony," McGee put in, "if you actually _did _the work, you might have free time like us."

"Nah, I'm actually okay, Elf Lord."

McGee sighed. "Are you _ever _going to let that go?"

Tony grinned. "Not in this life time," he said and then quickly put his hand up, "but wait, Elf Lords have several lives don't they. Okay, I'll stop in life three." He said decisively. McGee was about to retort when Ziva's desk phone rang, interrupting him.

Ziva picked it up. "Offic… Special Agent David." She answered. She was still not used to answering as 'special agent' and not 'officer'. After a moment she said, "Yes, okay," and hung up. Tony looked at her questioningly as she stood up.

"Director wants to see me." She answered Tony's unspoken question.

Tony looked up quickly. He didn't like the new director. He was young and Tony had to admit, rather grudgingly, quite good looking. He didn't like the idea of Ziva and the Director in a room alone together. "Be careful."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I do not know what you have against him, Tony, but I assure you that I will be fine."

Tony shrugged and tried to keep the jealousy out of his voice. "Okay."

"What _do _you have against him, Tony?" McGee asked as Ziva walked past Tony's desk and toward the stairs.

"Who?" Tony asked absent-mindedly.

"The director."

"None of your business, McNosy."

McGee was about to push the point, but decided against it. I'll ask him later.

* * *

Ziva made her way up the stairs and walked along the 'catwalk'. Only seconds later, she felt her hair yanked back and the cold metal of a knife pressed against her throat. A voice rang out over NCIS headquarters.

"Stop everything or I slit her throat!"

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A/N: So. What do you think? Please review and tell me. Should I continue?


	2. Negotiations

Disclaimer: As usual. Don't own NCIS...

So. Second chapter.

I don't really like it, but tell me what you think.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_A voice rang out over NCIS headquarters._

_"Stop everything or I slit her throat!"_

* * *

Gibbs looked up as a man's voice yelled out over NCIS. He felt panic grip him as he saw the man holding a knife to Ziva's throat.

"Your director is dead," the man continued, "I won't hesitate to make this one next."

Gibbs shook his head. NCIS had been through three directors in the past six months. This was not good for the agency. _Focus, Gibbs. _He cursed himself. Ziva was in trouble. One look at Tony told Gibbs that he was not handling this well. Gibbs found his voice. "There are over fifty armed agents here. What exactly to intend to do?"

The man chuckled. "Good thing I have my men too." He shouted something in another language and around twenty heavily armed men walked out and stood behind him. Another six emerged from the stairs pushing Abby, Ducky and Palmer along with several other personnel that worked in the lower levels. Gibbs gulped. This was really not good.

"You are surrounded." The man yelled, "my men are outside the building as well."

Gibbs looked up to see how Ziva was going. She didn't look scared or worried at all, merely pissed off. Gibb resisted the urge to laugh. That was Ziva all right. "Who are you?" Gibbs yelled.

The man began to walk down the stairs, pushing Ziva in front of him, always holding the knife to her throat. The men behind him followed diligently. "I am known by many different names, but you can call me Daegan. I want a case file and all the evidence connected to the case."

Gibbs sighed. NCIS doesn't co-operate with criminals as a general rule. He rubbed his forehead. "Which one?"

"The Bradley Case."

"Never heard of it."

Daegan let out a bitter laugh and dug the knife into Ziva's throat a little further, drawing blood. Ziva felt the warm liquid trickle down her neck. "Really?"

Gibbs sighed again. "Yes." He stood his ground, "we would have to look it up if we were to find it."

Daegan said something in another language and the men began to disperse around the room. They rounded up the agents and pushed them all into Gibbs' team area. Then the men stood guard around the bullpen. "Do it. You have twelve hours."

Gibbs let out a sigh of relief and nodded to McGee who got on his computer and began to type. "One more thing. Let the others go."

Daegan laughed. "You are not in a position to bargain with me, Agent…"

Gibbs saw no reason to lie. "Gibbs."

"Ah, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs spoke up again. "Daegan, let the other agents go. I only need a few people to work on this."

Daegan shook his head. "If I let them go, you will have no incentive to do this."

"I'll stay." Tony spoke up. He had gone very pale and his voice was shaking.

McGee looked up from over his computer. "Me, too."

Abby, Ducky and Palmer all yelled out, despite Gibbs' glares. "Yeah, us too."

Three other agents elected to stay as well, Agent Lee included.

Ziva was still held at knifepoint. "I am staying too."

Daegan laughed. "You don't have a choice, bitch."

Ziva closed her mouth and resisted the urge to kill Daegan right there. That wouldn't help their situation.

Daegan thought for a moment. "Alright," he said finally, "I will let the others go. I realize that they will go to the police immediately, but my men are surrounding this building and all entrances. If any policemen try to get in and play hero they will die a long and painful death." He said it as a warning; clearly stating 'the police can't help you'.

"Alright." Gibbs agreed.

Daegen shouted to his man again and several of them rounded up all the other agents and personnel. Then they took them all to the stairs and left the building.

Gibbs breathed deeply. There were ten of them left now. Himself, McGee, Tony, Agent Lee, Palmer, Abby, Ducky, two other male agents that Gibbs didn't know the names of, and Ziva, who was still held at knifepoint. Now that the other agents were safe, Gibbs' main concern was Ziva.

"Get the file. Your time is running out." Daegen said, "and the bitch will die first." He dug the knife into Ziva's neck further and more blood began to trickle out.

Ziva looked murderous, Tony had gone even paler if that were possible, and Gibbs sighed. This was really bad.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think. Please review.


	3. Let's Play A Game

Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish.

Enjoy.

Please review and tell me what you think.

* * *

"Sit!" Daegan ordered Ziva, pushing her into one of the office chairs. One of the other men pulled out a gun and pointed it at the rest of the team. "All of you sit too." Everyone hurried to comply, some needing to sit on desks, but Tony was left standing.

"I said, sit!" The man yelled, pointing his gun at Tony.

Tony clenched his fists. "There's no chairs, you dick." Tony was angry that Ziva still had a knife at her throat, "and there's no room on the desks either."

The man punched Tony square on the jaw. "Call me a dick again and I'll blow your brains out," he threatened, gesturing to his gun, "now sit."

Tony sat on the floor in the middle of the bullpen. "Whatever." Tony noticed the man had a long scar running from just below his eye to the side of his mouth. "I'll just call you scarface then." He said decidedly.

Scarface ignored him and turned to Daegan. "Can I please shoot him?"

Daegan grinned. "Not yet. The bitch is first."

Ziva put her hands up. "If you do not stop calling me that I will kick your ass."

Daegan laughed. "And then what? My men will kill you before you stand up." He traced the knife across Ziva's jaw line. She didn't even flinch. "Such a pretty girl. Maybe we can find another use for her, right guys?"

Scarface grinned. "I can think of something." He moved over to Ziva and kissed her on the neck, tracing his hands up her leg. All the agents looked on in disgust, but didn't say anything, fearing for Ziva's life.

"Get off me." She snarled.

Tony couldn't stand it anymore. "Leave her alone!" he yelled.

Daegan and Scarface looked at him and smiled. "Oh, I see. You're her lover boy then?"

Ziva looked at Tony, desperately willing him not to say anything. "No." she said, "he's not."

Tony looked hurt for a moment, but then realized what she was doing. She was trying to protect them. "No, I'm not. She's my partner."

Scarface laughed. "The look on your face tells a different story." He began to kiss her face and run his hand up her side experimentally. Ziva tried to push him off and Daegan pushed the knife further into her throat. "Ah, so we've found a weakness, then."

"Get off her!" Tony yelled, grabbing Scarface and pulling him off Ziva. Scarface punched Tony again and yelled out an order. Another of the men walked in, pushing a chair from another department. Scarface pulled Tony up roughly and sat him on the chair. Blood was pouring out of Tony's nose from the punch.

Daegan grinned. "This will be more interesting than I first anticipated. Lover boy here is willing to give his life to save the bitch, but she doesn't seem to care at all about him. Trouble in paradise?"

Tony tried not to allow this to get to him. He knew that this was what Ziva was trained to do, but somehow it still hurt. Gibbs seemed to have decided this was a good time to butt in. "Will you leave her alone?"

Scarface turned to Gibbs. "Two lover boys?"

Gibbs smiled slightly and swore he could see Tony frown. "No."

Scarface walked over to the chair that Gibbs was sitting on. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Scarface grinned and walked back to Daegan. "I believe you. The bitch wouldn't date someone old enough to be her father." He looked over to McGee, "You got the file yet?"

McGee looked up. "No, but that won't be the hard part. I will have to hack and break protocol to get it. Alone, that could take over six hours."

Scarface sighed. "Fine, let's play a game."

All the agents looked over to Scarface, wondering what he was up to. "What type of game?" Abby asked suspiciously. She had tears in her eyes.

Daegan smiled and took the knife away from Ziva's throat. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. He walked around to the front of Ziva. "Perhaps this will hurry you up with the file." He said, "I am going to ask you all a few questions. If I think you are telling the truth, the bitch is safe. If you lie, well, I'll use my imagination."

"No!" Gibbs, Abby, McGee and Tony yelled at the same time. Ducky was sitting down and had gone very pale. Lee and Palmer were clasping each other's hands and the two other male agents were looking on in horror.

Daegan grinned, ignoring their shout. "We'll ask you first, bitch, just to get you ready."

Ziva sighed, but still didn't look worried. To her, this was just like an interrogation, and she had been through more of them than she cared to count. "Yes?"

"What nationality are you?"

Ziva answered without hesitation. "American."

Daegan narrowed his eyes. "You don't look American."

Ziva again didn't hesitate, despite the fact that everything she said was a lie. "My grandparents moved here when they got married."

Daegan leaned in. "You are lying, bitch."

Ziva didn't say anything. Daegan grabbed her arm and began to run the knife down it. Crimson blood seeped out and stained her clothes. Daegan laughed. "Anyone else going to lie?"

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Thanks.


	4. Die Now

Disclaimer: Don't own. Damn.

This chapter is kind of a filler, but there'll be mores oon and that's when the action begins.

Enjoy.

And please Review.

* * *

"Are you married?"

Gibbs cringed inwardly. "No."

Daegan must have noticed the delay in answering. "Have you been married?"

"Yes"

Daegan smiled. "What happened?"

"Divorced."

Daegan held the knife up. Ziva's blood dripped off the end of it, making little red pools on the floor. Tony suppressed a groan and sat back in his chair, looking at Ziva, who had a determined look on her face. She had been cut many more times and blood seemed to be everywhere. Tony wondered how she was still conscious. The pain must have been unbearable, but she was losing blood so quickly, she would have to go unconscious sooner or later.

"Lover boy." Daegan yelled at Tony.

"What?"

"Your turn."

Tony sighed. "Yes?"

Daegan grinned. "Do you have feelings for the bitch?"

Tony looked at Ziva. All her body language was telling him to say no. "No."

Daegan laughed and began running the knife down Ziva's thigh. "Really?"

Tony couldn't stand to see Ziva hurt anymore. "Actually, yes, I do."

* * *

Ziva sighed. That was the worst thing Tony could have done. Now they had his weakness. Ziva tried to move, but the pain was too much, so she sat still and stared straight ahead. Daegan came into her line of vision.

"You're boring to play with." He frowned, "anyone else would be screaming by now."

Ziva managed a grin. "I'm not just anyone."

"Who were you trained by?" he held the knife to her throat threateningly.

"NCIS." She said immediately.

"Liar." He dug the knife into her throat, "tell me."

"I told you. I was trained by NCIS." Ziva had no intentions of telling the men she was Mossad.

Daegan suddenly yelled. "I'm sick of you." He slapped Ziva across the face roughly and she fell to the floor.

"Ziva!" Tony yelled.

Daegan whirled around to look at Ziva on the floor. "Ziva? That is a Hebrew name. You're not…"

Tony cursed his stupidity.

"…Israeli Mossad."

Ziva looked up and despite immense pain, managed to stand. There was no point denying it now. "Yes," she spat. She swore she saw a flicker of fear in Daegan's eyes, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

"Well, isn't that interesting," he smiled and slapped her across the face again. She grabbed the desk next to her for support. Daegan noticed this and slapped her again, harder this time. She fell to the floor and Tony rushed to her side, despite Scarface's attempts to stop him.

"Ziva. Are you okay?" he said worriedly.

"I am fine Tony." She said, irritated. She was angry with herself for being so weak. She tried to get up, but Tony held her down.

"You should stay sitting. You've lost a lot of blood."

"Tony, let go of me. I am fine."

Tony didn't want to fight with her so he tried to help her stand.

"Tony. I am not an invalid. I can stand up by myself." She muttered.

Tony sighed and stepped back. Ziva stood up, ignoring the pain in her body.

Daegan was sick of this. "You're going to die now."

Ziva looked him square in the eyes. "At least I will die with dignity."

Daegan laughed and pulled the knife back.

* * *

A/N: Ha ha. Evil. Evil. Evil. I love cliffhangers. Please review.


	5. Deathly Silent

Disclamier: Nope. Still don't own NCIS.

Action chapter...

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

"Stop!"

Daegan turned to the voice. McGee had stood up from behind the computers. "I found the file."

"Good," Daegan smiled, "where is it?"

"It's downstairs," McGee said, "where all the old files are. This case was investigated before we had digital files."

Daegan turned back to Ziva. "Maybe you'll get to live after all, bitch." He said, "come on. Take us to the file."

McGee stood up and made his way to the stairs. Everyone else followed, including Daegan, Scarface and another four of his men. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way to the room, each person pondering their fate. Each wondering if Daegan would really let the live after this. Their guns had been taken almost immediately, rendering them helpless to the armed men. If they wished to kill them, they would. They walked into the room that held all the old files and boxes of evidence.

"Its number 3896." McGee said, consulting his notes.

Daegen pushed Ziva forward. "Get it, bitch."

* * *

Ziva walked forward slowly. She felt light-headed from blood-loss and the pain was making her weak, but she was determined not to show any signs of discomfort. She grabbed the box labelled '3896' and began to walk slowly back to Daegan. Ziva made eye contact with Gibbs and nodded slightly, hoping he got the message. She watched as Gibbs took a few small steps back towards the shelves behind him, tapping Tony lightly and signing for him to follow. Ziva suppressed a smile. He definitely got the message.

Daegan grinned as Ziva approached. "Give it to me."

Ziva shrugged. "Sure," she said and threw the box into his hands. The next few minutes went very quickly. Momentarily off balance, Daegan was unable to defend himself as Ziva kneed him in the groin. He fell to his knees and Ziva threw a look to the other agents. Gibbs had one of the armed men on the ground with the man's own gun pointed at the man's head. Tony was throwing punch after punch at Scarface and McGee, Lee and the two other male agents were fighting off the remaining three men.

"Run!" Gibbs yelled to Abby, Ducky and Palmer. Duck and Palmer took off up the stairs, while Abby began grabbing boxes off the shelves and throwing them at the armed men.

"Abs!" Gibbs yelled furiously, struggling to keep the man on the ground. Abby threw one more box before running the way Ducky and Palmer had gone. Ziva turned to Daegan, who was beginning to stand up.

"You'll pay for that, bitch."

Ziva clenched her fists. "I told you I would kick your ass if you called me that again." She threw a punched into Daegan's face and was about to strike again when he swept her legs out from under her. Pain surged through her body in hot waves as she hit the ground, almost causing her to pass out. She felt Daegan pull her up roughly by her hair. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." He hissed into her ear. He brought the knife to her throat.

"No!" Tony yelled and leapt across to Daegan, abandoning Scarface.

Two shots rang out in very quick succession. Tony's eyes widened as he watched Ziva fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Ziva!" Tony whispered. Surprisingly, Daegan fell to the floor too, blood seeping from his chest. Tony turned. McGee, Lee and the others had cuffed the other men. Gibbs was sitting on a struggling man; his gun trained where Daegan was previously standing. Scarface was grinning, _his_ gun trained on where Ziva was just standing.

"You asshole!" Tony screamed, leaping at Scarface.

One shot rang out.

The room went deathly silent.

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A/N: Dananana... Another cliffhanger. Review and I will update soon. Thanks.

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	6. Gunfire In The Air

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Disclaimer: As usual. Don't own. Da. Da.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

She had been shot. Pain exploded in her shoulder as the bullet tore through skin and muscle. Ziva fell to the floor in agony in time to hear Tony whisper.

"Ziva!"

Ignoring her body's shouts to lay down and allow the darkness to consume her, Ziva grabbed Daegan's gun from his holster. She couldn't hear anything and time seemed to be moving in slow motion. Ziva saw Tony leap at Scarface and when she saw the shot, she took it. She pressed down on the trigger and Scarface fell to the ground. Tony was safe. Now she could relax. She saw Tony turn in surprise and begin running towards her. Her grip slackened on Daegan's gun and it fell from her grasp, making a clinking sound as it hit the ground. Ziva closed her eyes and allowed herself to give into the darkness.

* * *

Tony knelt next to Ziva's body. "No," he whispered, cupping her cheek. "No. No. No. No. No!" he yelled. He put two fingers to her neck. _Please don't leave me. _There was a pulse. Tony would've smiled if not for the dire situation.

"Someone call an ambulance!" he yelled, his eyes not leaving Ziva's face. McGee put a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"The men, Tony." He whispered, "There are still at least twenty up there."

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and tear fell onto Ziva's pale face. He ran his hand through her hair and sighed. Just then, Abby, Ducky and Palmer came running from where they had been hiding behind shelves at the other end of the room.

"Oh my god!" Abby said, seeing Ziva unconscious. "We heard the shots and came running and now Ziva is…"

"Abby, calm down. The most important thing now is to help Ziva and prepare ourselves for when the other men come to check on us. They would have heard the shots." Tony said, "look through the evidence boxes. Grab anything that might stop the blood flow. You might also want to look for anything that we could use as a weapon."

"What about these guys?" Lee asked, gesturing to the four men that were handcuffed.

Gibbs looked up briefly. "Kill them."

The men only had a second to look frightened, before their necks were snapped.

"Get their weapons." Gibbs ordered. Lee began to search through their clothes to get all their weapons.

"You two." Gibbs yelled to the other two male agents.

"Yes?"

"Do what DiNozzo said. Look for weapons and first-aid in the evidence boxes."

The two men hurried to comply. A few minutes later, one came back with a large piece of cloth. He handed it to Tony.

"Thanks." Tony ripped a thin strip of the sheet and folded the rest of it. He pressed it onto Ziva's shoulder. "Don't worry Ziva. We're going to get out of this." He took the strip that he had ripped off and used it secure his makeshift bandage in place. "That should hold it for now." Tony turned around in time to see everyone searching through old evidence boxes. There was quite a substantial pile of weapons that was growing every second. Tony managed a small smile. This had to be breaking every protocol imaginable; using weapons from old cases to fight against twenty armed men in NCIS headquarters. Tony turned back to Ziva and gently picked her up. He needed to take her somewhere safe, somewhere where the men wouldn't find her. He went to the back of the room to the shelves that were furthest away from the door. Placing Ziva carefully on the ground, he cleared out the boxes that were residing on the bottom of the shelves. Then he placed Ziva in the spot where the boxes were and put the boxes back in front of her one by one. Soon only her head was visible. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I'll be back for you." He whispered, "please stay safe for me." He wiped a tear and quickly placed the last box in front of her when he heard a knock at the door and a shout.

"Daegan!" A man's voice yelled from behind the door, "Is everything okay in there?"

Tony jumped up from his spot and back to the group. Everyone was picking up weapons and aiming them towards the door. Some of the agents had to use knives and Palmer was even armed with a sword. Tony wondered what case that had been used in. He grabbed the gun that Gibbs was holding out to him and trained it on the door.

"It's been a pleasure working with you all."

The door suddenly burst open and the sound of gunfire filled the air.

* * *

A/N: CLIFFHANGER. I know. You all hate me. But if you want a quick update you will need to review. Thanks.


	7. Let's Do This

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Yet.

Okay. So I know this is a very short chapter. It's incredibly difficult to describe a gunfight.

And to be honest I really hate this chapter. So I'm sorry.

Enjoy. If you can.

And please review. Tell me what you think.

* * *

The door burst open with immense force and reflexively Tony pulled the trigger on his gun, killing the man standing in the doorway. It only took half a second for the man behind him to jump over his body and fire at Tony. Tony leapt out of the way to avoid the bullet and Gibbs shot the man dead. The NCIS agents had the upper hand because they just had to shoot at the doorway to kill the men coming in, but after they had shot four of the men, they came in on mass. Tony shot another man dead and turned to see Lee throw a knife straight into a man's chest. Her skills had definitely improved since he last saw them. The fight continued until the ground was littered with the bodies of Daegan's men. Tony sighed with relief, but it was short lived. He was yanked back and felt a gun pressed to the back of his neck. Apparently, one of Daegan's men was still alive. _This is it._ Tony thought.

"If I'm going down I'm taking you with me." The man hissed in his ear. Tony closed his eyes and prepared himself. Suddenly the grip loosened and Tony turned around. Palmer was standing there looking at the man at his feet. Tony looked down and saw a long sword through the man's chest.

"Nice work, Jimmy." Tony laughed.

Palmer managed a small smile. "I guess."

Gibbs took control of the situation. "Lee, McGee." He said, "go make sure there's no-one else upstairs."

McGee and Lee grabbed a gun each and exited the room.

"Tony!"

"Yeah, boss?"

"Check on Z-"

Tony gasped. Ziva! He ran to where he had left her, removing the boxes quickly. He picked her up and took her back to where Gibbs and the other agents were. Tony's makeshift bandage was completely soaked through and Ziva's skin had gone clammy.

"Gibbs!" Tony said desperately, "she needs help now."

Gibbs nodded as McGee and Lee returned.

"There's no-one else up there." McGee said, "but there will still be men outside the building."

Gibbs sighed. "Okay." He said, "get Ziva upstairs and bandage her shoulder again."

Tony nodded and picked Ziva up, leaving the room.

Gibbs turned to the other agents. "Bring the weapons and any first-aid equipment up."

All the agents nodded and began grabbing things and taking them upstairs.

Gibbs nodded to Abby and McGee. "Abs, McGee, with me."

They looked confused, but followed Gibbs upstairs.

"I want you two to plan an escape route." Gibbs said, before glancing at Ziva's motionless body, "quickly."

McGee looked at Abby. Planning an escape from a government agency that was surrounded by armed guards had to be impossible.

Abby allowed a sly smile. "Let's do this."

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A/N: I warned you. Review. Hopefully the next chapters will be better. Sorry.


	8. Escape

Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine. Yet.

Okay, so can I just say sorry for the late update. I know I usually update once a day so sorry.

Also I'm not sure about this story. I don't know if I like it or not.

And I don't really like this chapter either. But that's just me.

I hope you like it anyway.

Enjoy.

And please review.

Also, I have another story called Competition. Read if you're interested.

* * *

"We have an idea, Gibbs." Abby said quickly.

Gibbs stopped pacing and turned to Abby and McGee, who were busy studying a rough floor plan of NCIS headquarters. "Yes?"

Abby swallowed. "Well it's kinda rough and we don't know how well it would work. There are also massive risks associated with it and with Ziva the way she is I don't know what-"

"Abs!" Gibbs cut her off.

"Oh, right." Abby turned back to the floor plan. "We have studied the floor plans and security tapes and it seems the only place not currently guarded is the window outside the directors office, which is probably because it's three storeys high and they wouldn't expect us to be able to climb out and-"

"Abby!" Gibbs cut in again, "what makes you think we will be able to climb down three storeys?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Abby smiled, "well, Daegan and the other men had to get in some way, right?"

"Yes…"

"That's how they got in, through the director's office." Abby pulled up the surveillance of that wall and pointed to the screen. "Look Gibbs."

Gibbs peered at the screen. He could see the wall and the office window. Dropping down from the window was a rope that had obviously been thrown up from the ground.

"We can climb down." Abby said excitedly, "and someone at the top can lever Ziva down to someone at the bottom."

Gibbs looked at the hope in Abby's eyes. He had to agree that this might actually work. "Nice work, Abs."

Abby grinned and pulled Gibbs into a bone-crushing hug. "Do you think we are going to be okay?"

Gibbs forced a smile. "I hope so, Abby. I hope so."

* * *

They all stepped into the director's office. The new director was keeled over his desk; his eyes open, but not seeing. He was obviously taken by surprise Gibbs noted.

"Come on." Gibbs said, gesturing toward the window behind the director's desk. Tony was carrying Ziva and McGee had a makeshift lever system that would lower Ziva down slowly. They had already called an ambulance that would take Ziva to the hospital straight away. Now it was all about getting out safely. The two male agents and Lee climbed down first, each armed with a gun. Palmer and Ducky followed behind with a bit of difficulty, but Ducky proved that despite his age he was still quite strong. Abby climbed down soon after, followed by McGee and finally Gibbs. Tony began to slowly lower Ziva down in the lever system, only allowing himself to breathe when she was safe in Gibbs' arms. He climbed down immediately after. There was little time to rejoice. They were not out of harms way yet. Gibbs signaled for Lee and the two male agents to check around the corner. They gave the signal for all clear and all of them began running, Tony still carrying Ziva. It was imperative that they got as far away as possible. Then Tony heard two sounds simultaneously, one that was music to his ears, the other that chilled his blood. An ambulance siren wailed and Tony could see it coming quickly. From behind him he heard a shout. It was in another language, but Tony knew what it meant.

"_STOP!"_

Tony had no intentions of stopping until Ziva was safe in the back of the ambulance. The ambulance reached them at the same time as Tony heard the first shot go off. The man behind them was in hot pursuit. The ambulance doors swung open and Tony handed Ziva to the paramedics, before jumping in himself.

"Go! Go! Go!"

He turned around to look out the ambulance doors at the man chasing them. He watched as Gibbs aimed his gun and fired. The ambulance doors closed and Tony watched helplessly as yet another gunfight broke out.

Tony watched through the tiny ambulance window until he couldn't see anymore. Then he held Ziva's ice cold hand, oblivious to anything else around him.

_Please let it all be okay. Please._

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Was it as bad as I said? Please review and let me know. Thanks.


	9. Crimson Streaks

Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS. Damn.

Hope you like this chapter.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

Tony ran into the hospital alongside the gurney. He hadn't let go of Ziva's hand once.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tony asked frantically.

The paramedic looked up, still wheeling Ziva along. "We don't know yet, sir. We need to get her prepped for surgery."

Tony nodded, still running along beside Ziva. They came to double doors.

The paramedic turned to Tony. "I'm sorry sir, this is as far as you can go."

Tony nodded slowly and held back the tears that threatened to run down his face. He leant down to Ziva's unconscious form. "You're going to be okay." He whispered in her ear, "keep fighting."

The paramedic began to move Ziva through the doors. Tony allowed the tears to flow as Ziva's hand was slowly pulled from his.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the hospital doors burst open. Gibbs was leading the group of disheveled agents as they ran to the surgery waiting room. Tony looked up upon their arrival. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Gibbs sat down next to him. "We're all fine. We just had a little run in with Daegan's men."

Tony ran his hand through his hair as the others sat down around him. "At least you're all okay."

Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "How is she?"

Tony took a deep breath. "She's in surgery now. She was in a bad way when I last saw her." Tony's voice turned desperate, "I don't know if she's going to make it, boss."

Gibbs slapped Tony lightly on the back of the head. The action spoke volumes more than anything Gibbs could have said.

Tony looked up at Gibbs. "Thank you, boss."

Gibbs just nodded his head in acknowledgment and turned to Lee and McGee. "You did good back there." He turned to the two male agents. "Thank you for everything. What are your names?"

"I'm Special Agent Eric Adams." The first one said before pointing to the agent on his right, "and this is Special Agent Terry Lane."

Gibbs looked at them for a moment. "It is not often that I'm proud of anyone, but you two men were very brave for staying behind and fighting it out. Well done."

The men just nodded and everyone lapsed into silence once again. Tony had his head in his hands muttering something incomprehensible. Abby was crying quietly in McGee's arms. Gibbs sat staring straight-ahead, thinking. Ducky sat beside him.

"What's on your mind, Jethro?"

Gibbs sighed and spoke quietly so Tony wouldn't hear. "I can't go through this again, Duck. I just can't. First Shannon and Kelly, then Kate and Jen. Now Ziva? Why do all the women in my life leave?"

Ducky put an arm around Gibbs' shoulders. "I'm sure all will turn out well."

Gibbs was about to reply when the doors to the operating room opened and two surgeons walked out, dressed in scrubs. Crimson streaks of blood contrasted against the blue of their scrubs. 

_Ziva's blood._

Tony shook the thought from his mind as the surgeons approached.

"Family for Ziva David?" The surgeon pronounced her name the American way, but Tony didn't bother to correct him.

Tony and the rest of the group stood. "Yes?" he asked softly.

The surgeon took a deep breath. "We did everything we could…" he began.

Tony's stomach dropped.

* * *

A/N: Mwahahaha. Yes. I'm very evil. I'll let you all think about what I have in store. Review and the update will be quick. Thanks.


	10. Vulnerable

Disclaimer: As usual. Still don't own.

I won't give away anything so read on.

Enjoy.

And please review if you want a quick update.

* * *

_The surgeon took a deep breath. "We did everything we could…" he began. _

_Tony's stomach dropped._

* * *

Tony sank into the chair closest to him as the surgeon continued his speech.

"...but the damage was too extensive. There was too much bleeding to save the baby. Ziva is in a critical-"

"What?" Tony looked up from his seat. Everyone else seemed to be just as shocked as he was, "Ziva was pregnant?"

The surgeon blinked, looking down at Tony. "You didn't know?"

Tony shook his head as a thousand thoughts whirled around in his mind. Ziva was pregnant. The baby was gone. Ziva was okay. Tony stood up quickly. "Ziva is okay?"

The surgeon looked at Tony for a moment. "Miss David is in a critical condition in ICU. She is alive, but by no means not out of the woods yet."

Tony smiled. She was okay. Ziva was okay. He stopped smiling abruptly. "How many weeks pregnant was she?"

"Six weeks."

Tony ran a hand through his hair. Had she known? "Can I see her?"

"She isn't conscious yet."

Tony nodded. "I know. I just need to see her."

The surgeon nodded sympathetically. "I'm going to assume you are family."

Tony nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, well you can see her, but she won't be conscious for at least a couple of hours."

"Thank you." Tony whispered and began to follow the surgeon. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"She's going to be okay, Tony." Gibbs said and pulled him into a very unlike Gibbs hug.

Tony hugged back gratefully, before giving one last meaningful look to everyone and following the surgeon.

* * *

Tony hated hospitals, which was a little ridiculous, considering he was an NCIS special agent. It was almost in his job description to get shot at, but he still hated it. He hated the smell, the cleanliness, the bright white hallways, but most of all he hated the feeling he got whenever he went into one. The knowing that death was just around the corner.

His shoes squeaked on the floor as he neared Ziva's room.

"Right here." The nurse said, opening the door and offering a small smile, "call if you need anything."

Tony nodded numbly and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Slowly and deliberately, he turned to face the bed in the middle of the room, dreading the sight. Ziva lay, tucked in to the bed with a tube down her throat. There were wires and beeping machines all around her and she looked so small, surrounded by all the equipment. Tony slowly walked towards her bed and sat down in the chair beside it. Ziva looked so pale and vulnerable. Tony couldn't stand to see her like that. He brushed a lock of hair from her face and kissed her softly on the forehead. Then he took her hand in his, vowing to never let her go again. Tony sat, staring at Ziva's frail body until exhaustion finally overcame him and he fell asleep to the rhythmic beeping of the machines.

* * *

A/N: Yeah. So she didn't die. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks. And by the way, there will be more.


	11. Bad News

Disclaimer: NCIS is still not mine.

Okay, so this story is nearing the end.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

It was several hours later when Tony was awoken by a light slap to the head. He sat up quickly and saw Gibbs standing over him with two cups of coffee.

"Thought you could use some." Gibbs said, offering Tony one of the cups.

Tony took it gratefully. "Thanks, boss."

Gibbs nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "She should be waking up soon."

Tony looked over to Ziva, sleeping peacefully. "Do you think she knew?"

Gibbs pulled a chair up beside Tony. "I don't know." He said honestly.

Tony ran a hand through his hair. He was on the edge of breaking down and Gibbs could see it. "How do I tell her?" he asked desperately.

Gibb sighed and put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I don't know," he said again, "you just need to make sure she knows you're there for her. This is something she can't go through alone."

Tony nodded. "I know boss, I know."

The two men lapsed into silence once again, staring at Ziva's frail and motionless body.

* * *

The silence was broken almost an hour later. Ziva awoke and began choking on the tube down her throat. Gibbs jumped up quickly and pressed the call button.

"It's okay, Ziva." Tony said, stroking her hair. The nurses burst into the room and ran to the bed.

"Miss David." The nurse said, "I need you to cough for me."

Ziva coughed and the nurse pulled the tube out. The other nurse quickly handed Ziva a glass of water, which Ziva drank greedily. They replaced the tube with a nasal cannula to allow Ziva to get oxygen easier. It took a few minutes for Ziva to realize where she was and she quickly turned to Tony, fear evident on her soft features.

"I lost it?" she asked, already knowing the answer, but needing confirmation. The look on Tony's face told her everything she needed to know.

"I'm so sorry, Ziva." He said, pulling her into a hug, but pulling away when she winced. "Are you in pain?" he asked worriedly.

"I am fine, Tony." Ziva said quickly.

Tony sat down next to the bed and took her hand in his. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ziva turned away. "I do not know," she said softly, "I guess I was afraid you would leave me."

Tony kissed her softly on the head. "I'm never going to leave you."

They were interrupted by Gibbs clearing his throat. "I think I'll give you two some time alone."

Tony put his hand up. "No, stay."

Gibbs shook his head. "I need a refill anyway," he said, lifting up his coffee cup and shaking it lightly.

Tony nodded. "Okay, but can you send the others in?"

"Sure." Gibbs stood up and stretched.

"Thanks."

Gibbs walked over to Ziva and Tony. "I'm glad you are okay and I'm very sorry, Ziva." He kissed her lightly on the forehead, "I know what you are going through."

Ziva nodded and choked back a tear. She knew he was talking about losing Kelly. "Thank you."

Gibbs smiled and walked towards the door. He was about to open it when it swung open widely. A man dressed in scrubs walked past Gibbs into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I am afraid I have some bad news," the man said.

Gibbs walked back to the bed, abandoning all thoughts of leaving. "What's going on?"

The man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ziva. "You are going to die."

* * *

A/N: So I know what you are all thinking. Who is this psycho aiming his gun at Ziva? Trust me. There is a reason which will be revealed next chapter. And yes. I know you all really hate me. ).

Also. There is a massive twist coming. Expect the unexpected. Muhahaha.


	12. Too Late

Disclaimer: I still don't own NCIS.

This chapter was really difficult to write so sorry if it sucks.

And sorry for what happens soon.

You'll see.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_The man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ziva. "You are going to die." _

Ziva, Tony and Gibbs all looked at the man in shock.

"What?" Tony finally choked out.

The man smiled lightly, "You thought we were all dead, didn't you?" he spat, "you thought you had killed us all! You were wrong."

Gibbs tried to buy some time, "what are you talking about?"

"Daegan!" the man shouted, anger coursing through his body, "you killed my brother, Daegan! He called me while you were in there. He called me and told me all about the Mossad bitch!" The man trembled with fury, his gun always aimed at Ziva.

Gibbs slowly snaked his hand down to his belt, trying to get his knife. No one had their guns, as it was against hospital policy, but Gibbs always carried a knife as per rule 9. The man turned his gun on Gibbs.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Gibbs abandoned the knife and put his hands up slowly. The last thing he needed was for this guy to realise he had a knife. "Nothing."

The man shook his head. "At your belt. Slide the knife over to me."

Gibbs cringed inwardly. Damn. He did notice. Slowly, trying to buy as much time as possible, Gibbs pulled the knife out of his belt and slid it across the floor. He decided to try bargaining. "What is your plan? As soon as you shoot, all my agents will come running. You will die." Gibbs reasoned, "If you stop this right now, I'll get you a reduced sentence."

The man narrowed his eyes on Gibbs. "I don't care about that. My brother is dead. He is all I ever cared about and he is gone," the man shook slightly, "do you know what it feels like to have everything you ever cared about taken away?"

Gibbs nodded sincerely. "Yes," he said, "I do, but these things get better." Gibbs sent a meaningful look to Tony and Ziva. "It's not always bad."

The man was past reasoning. "Shut up!" he aimed the gun at Ziva again, "the Mossad bitch has to pay for my brother's death."

Gibbs leaped out of his chair as the shot went off, echoing throughout the hospital. He took the bullet in the chest and fell to the floor, dark red liquid already staining his clothes and pooling on the floor.

"No!" Tony screamed, leaping out of his chair and diving towards the man as he lifted the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger. Red mist covered Tony as the man fell to the floor. Tony abandoned him and jumped over to Gibbs, kneeling beside his body. Despite immense pain, Ziva joined Tony at Gibbs' side.

"Gibbs," Tony whispered, looking at Gibbs' body, "look at me."

Gibbs slowly opened his eyes, coughing slightly and bringing up blood.

Tony forced a smile. "You're going to be okay, boss."

Gibbs smiled softly. "Not this time, Tony." He croaked, blood dripping from the side of his mouth, "It's my time to go."

Tony shut his eyes as tight as he could, squeezing tears out. "No, boss," he pleaded, "please, no. You can't leave me."

Gibbs reached his hand out to touch Tony's hand. "I'll never leave you."

Tears stained Tony's face as he pulled Gibbs into a hug. "Please," he whispered, "hold on."

"I'm sorry, son." Gibbs shuddered and became very still.

Tony cried softly as he rocked back and forth with Gibbs' body in his arms, blood staining his clothes. "I'll miss you, dad," he whispered between broken sobs.

Ziva put a hand on Tony's back as tears rolled down her face. This is how the nurse found them thirty seconds later when they burst into the room.

They were too late.

* * *

A/N: See. Now you all really hate me. Sorry. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks.


	13. Happy

Disclaimer: I still don't own NCIS. Damn.

So this is the end. I hope you have enjoyed the story, but reviews told me that alot of you didn't like what happened last chapter.

This was really hard to write so I'm sorry if it isn't very good.

Please review and tell me what you think. It is always good to get encouragement and advice.

Enjoy.

And for all those that enjoyed this take a look at my other fic, Competition.

* * *

_Ten Years Later_

"Come on, boss." Tony said, opening the car door for his eight-year-old son, Alex Jethro DiNozzo.

Alex jumped out of the car and into a puddle. "Why do you call me that, dad?"

Tony pulled two-year-old Tali Caitlyn DiNozzo out of the car seat, "Call you what?" he asked absent-mindedly.

Alex sighed loudly. "Boss, dad. Why do you call me boss?"

"Oh," Tony said, zipping up Tali's jacket, "because you're named after my boss."

Alex put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Jethro?" he asked as Ziva stepped out of the car and pulled her jacket more tightly around her.

Tony handed Tali to Ziva and took Alex's hand. "Yes, Alex, you were named after Jethro."

Alex looked up at his father as it dawned on him. "Gibbs? Gibbs from the stories?"

Tony smiled softly as they began to walk. "Yes."

Alex grinned. "Can you tell me the story about the ghost ship again?"

Tony squeezed on Alex's hand. "Not now. We are going to see Gibbs."

Alex looked confused. "I thought Gibbs wasn't alive anymore."

"He isn't," Tony said, swinging Alex over a puddle, "we are going to his grave."

"Why?" Alex asked innocently.

Tony shook his head. This was much harder to explain than he thought it would be. "He died on this day ten years ago."

Alex nodded knowingly. He didn't really understand, but he knew that it must be important. He was only eight, but it wasn't hard to see how important Jethro Gibbs was to his parents. "Okay, dad."

* * *

The family walked up a hill in silence, the grass crunching under their feet and the morning dew seeping into their shoes. Tony looked over to Ziva. They had been married for nine years and Alex was born a year later. Six years later they had had Tali. Tony watched as the cool morning air swirled Ziva's hair around her face. As if on cue, Ziva looked over at Tony and offered a small smile. Gibbs' death had hit them both very hard. He was more of a father to them than their own had ever been, but the grief was nothing compared to the guilt. Gibbs had given his life to save Ziva's. For years after, she felt like she had ought to be the one to die. Even ten years later, she still felt that way sometimes. As they walked over the top of the hill, several people came into view, silhouetted against the early morning sun.

"Abby!" Alex yelled, pulling out of Tony's grip. Abby pulled Alex into a hug as he ran up to her.

"Hey Alex," she said, not her usual vibrant self. Abby had changed a lot after Gibbs' death. She became cold and withdrawn, crying for weeks at a time. It was only years after Gibbs' passing that she began to go back to her normal self, but even then she was different somehow. Less enthusiastic. Her lab was silent. No more music would play.

"Are you okay, Abby?" Alex asked, cocking his head to one side.

Abby wiped away a stray tear and smiled. "I will be," she stood up and turned to Tony and Ziva, "are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Tony said, taking Alex by the hand again and walking to the grave, where McGee, Ducky, Palmer and Lee were standing. Tony looked around at his family. Ducky, who was looking significantly older than he did ten years ago, Palmer and Lee, who had married five years after Gibbs' death, and McGee and Abby, who were together, but not married. Each person had been affected in more ways than one by the events of ten years ago. They had lost a mentor, a friend and to some, a father. Tony looked at the tombstone before him. Everyone needed to put this behind them. It had been ten years. It was time. Everyone became very silent as each person became immersed in his or her own thoughts.

* * *

Palmer thought about Gibbs. He had not known the man well, but the memories he had of him were good. Although he had a rough exterior, Gibbs loved and cared about each person on the team. Palmer smiled at the thought. Gibbs' piercing gaze could have stopped anyone in their tracks. Palmer shook his head sadly. Gibbs couldn't stop Daegan's brother. And now he was dead.

Lee looked sideways at her husband. She watched as he smiled softly, before looking down and shaking his head sadly. She wondered what was going on in his head. Lee took Palmer's hand in her own and smiled up at him, expressing more care than anything else could.

* * *

McGee looked down at the tombstone before him. All this time he had told himself that he would wake up and it would all be okay. It was finally time to admit that Gibbs was gone and to come to terms with it. McGee closed his eyes and a tear squeezed out and rolled down his cheek. When he opened his eyes Gibbs stood before him. McGee saw Gibbs' hand connect with the back of his head. Out of habit, he rubbed his head, although there was no pain. Strange as it was, he wished there was. He would endure a thousand slaps to have Gibbs back. McGee looked back to Gibbs, still rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

Gibbs laughed. _"Breaking rule twelve." _

McGee smiled as Gibbs' voice sounded in his mind. "Hey!" he said, "Tony and Ziva did it first."

Gibbs grinned. _"I know, but if you hurt Abby I will come back to life and kill you."_

McGee shuddered. Gibbs was dead and he could still scare the crap out of him. "Yes, boss."

Gibbs raised his hand again and out of habit McGee cringed. Instead of slapping McGee, Gibbs stroked the back of his head. McGee could see Gibbs' hand, but feel nothing. He cried softly. He would give anything just to be able to feel it.

"_I'm proud of you, Tim."_ Gibbs said honestly.

McGee trembled as silent sobs shook his body. "Don't go." He said, his voice catching in his throat.

Gibbs smiled sadly as he began to disappear. _"I have to. Keep Tony in line for me."_

McGee let out a strangled laugh. "I will."

When he looked up, Gibbs was gone and his tombstone was all he could see. Even so, McGee smiled. Somehow, he felt better.

* * *

Abby felt numb. Ever since that fateful day ten years ago, Abby had felt nothing but numbness. She no longer played music or wore her dark make up. Hell, she didn't even wear her pigtails anymore. Abby didn't want to be happy. If she was happy it would be like forgetting that Gibbs was dead, and that was something she could never do. She clasped her hands together and breathed out loudly, dropping to the ground. She couldn't do this. She thought she would be able to, she really did. But it was too hard. The next thing she knew was Gibbs was kneeling in front of her, eyes full of concern.

"_Hey, you okay?" _he asked softly. Abby closed her eyes and breathed again. She opened her eyes, expecting Gibbs to be gone, but he was still there, _"Abs?" _

Abby looked into Gibbs' eyes, "You left. You LEFT me, Gibbs!" Abby yelled, unable to control her emotions any longer. She had held it in for ten years and now it was coming out all at once, "Why would you leave me? I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Abby softened her tone and looked away from Gibbs. "I miss you so much."

"_I miss you too, Abs," _was all Gibbs said, ignoring her previous rant, _"and all I want is for you to be happy." _

Abby looked up and let out a strangled sob, tears rolling down her face. "I can't, Gibbs," she stared into his eyes, "how can I be happy without you?"

Gibbs smiled, _"please, Abs, be happy." _He almost pleaded.

Abby smiled forcefully, "I'll try."

"Good," Gibbs said decisively, "that's all I ask."

Than Gibbs stood up and put his hand out to Abby. When Abby reached out her own to grasp his, Gibbs was gone and the sound of his voice in her ears was replaced with howling wind. Abby shook her head and stood up by herself. After a second of thinking, she took the hair ties of her wrists one-by-one and methodically tied her hair into two pigtails.

"_Thank you, Abby." _

Abby closed her eyes and smiled as Gibbs' voice echoed in her mind. She would be okay now.

* * *

Ducky watched the wind swirling around him, the grass moving lightly in the breeze and the birds sing in the early morning light. He allowed his mind drift back to the day of Jethro's death. He recalled the autopsy of his dearest friend had been the hardest he had ever had to complete. He marveled at how he had even managed to get through it at all. Ducky was a changed man. He no longer told lengthy stories from his past. I didn't seem right, as he could remember telling all too many of them to Jethro himself. It was also true that a large amount of them were actually about Jethro.

"_What you thinking about, Duck?" _

Ducky heard his old friend's voice echo in his head. He smiled and turned around, coming face to face with Jethro. "You," he said sadly.

Gibbs shook his head. _"Come one, Duck. It's been ten years. Move on." _He grinned.

Ducky let out a chuckle. "It _has_ been a while, hasn't it?"

Gibbs nodded knowingly. "What does this remind you of?"

Ducky was startled by the sudden change in conversation, but looked around nevertheless. He looked at the tombstone, the early morning dew and the sun rising over the hill. He smiled. "I truth, Jethro, this reminds me of the time when I served with…" Ducky was so immersed in his story that he didn't even notice Gibbs smile and disappear; satisfied that Ducky was going to be himself again.

* * *

It wasn't often that Ziva David allowed herself to be emotional. It was all part of her training and her training was something she could never let go. Nevertheless, the sight of Tony clutching Gibbs' bloody and motionless body was something she wished would just disappear forever, but it was burned into her mind and whenever she closed her eyes, it was all she saw. As she studied the single tombstone before her she felt a familiar feeling. It was a feeling that she had become well accustomed to over the past ten years. It was like something was burning, deep inside of her, something she just couldn't shake. _Guilt._ Even if no one said it, she knew it was true. Gibbs had taken a bullet in the chest for Ziva herself, and now he was never coming back. He was dead. Ziva closed her eyes and saw the vision of Tony on the floor holding Gibbs, rocking back and forth. There was crimson blood seeping through Gibbs' clothes, covering Tony and pooling around him. Ziva watched in horror as the scene played out. Again. When she opened her eyes she saw Gibbs.

"_Stop it, Ziva."_ Came his stern voice.

Ziva grimaced at the voice of the man she had killed. "Stop what?"

Gibbs sighed. _"It's not your fault, Ziva. It was my own choice." _

Ziva shook her head determinedly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "You should not have done it. You should have let him shoot me."

Gibbs smiled. "_I could never do that, Ziva." _

"Why?" Ziva demanded, "Why could you not let him kill me?" Even to her own ears this sounded ridiculous, but she was beyond reason. Gibbs just continued to smile as if he knew something that Ziva didn't. This in turn made Ziva angrier. "What?"

"_It was an honor to be able to give my life for you, Ziva." _He said happily, _"You have a family now." _

Ziva trembled with unshed tears. "You should be a part of it."

Gibbs just continued to smile. _"I know, Ziva, and I wish I could be." _He looked around and sighed softly, _"look after them all for me." _

Ziva smiled and looked at the child in her arms. "Of course," she finally understood everything, "it would be an honor."

Gibbs smiled and disappeared as Ziva closed her eyes. For the first time in ten years she didn't see Tony holding Gibbs' motionless body. All she saw was black. A warm sense of calm came over her as the burning sensation inside of her washed away.

* * *

Tony gripped his son's hand tightly as the memory of ten years ago came back to him, first in flashes, then more vividly. He closed his eyes and felt the warm blood seeping through his shirt. He could feel the cool hospital floor and Gibbs' dead weight in his arms. He could hear the shot go off, echoing in the small room. He felt the fine spray of blood cover his face as Daegan's brother shot himself in the head. Tony shut his eyes tighter as he heard the door to the room burst open. He could hear the nurse gasp in horror at the sight before her. He remembered Ziva trying to pry him away from Gibbs' body. He remembered running out of the room, tears streaming down his face. Tony shook his head. He didn't want to remember any of this. He didn't want to remember the things he had so effectively shut away for the past ten years.

"I'm sorry Gibbs." He said softly, opening his eyes.

"_Don't apologize. Sign of weakness." _Gibbs' voice cut in on Tony's thoughts.

Tony smiled. "You're dead and you're still on my back."

Gibbs appeared in front of Tony and smiled. _"What did you expect?" _

Tony shrugged. "Thought you might soften up a bit." Tony saw Gibbs' hand connect with the back of his head, but felt nothing. Out of habit, Tony grimaced.

Gibbs smirked, but abruptly frowned. _"You named your son after me?"_

Tony nodded, looking down at the small boy holding his hand. "Yeah, we did."

Gibbs smiled and looked at the little boy that was a spitting image of his father, save for his hair, which was clearly his mother's. _"Thank you."_

Tony looked at his former boss. "You died so that I could have a family with the woman I love. I'm the one that should be thanking you."

Gibbs looked up and smirked. _"Who said I did it for you, DiNozzo?"_ he said, his tone teasing.

Tony shrugged and smiled. "Thank you."

Gibbs smiled. _"It was my pleasure, son."_

Tony didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were rolling down his face, obscuring his vision. "Goodbye, dad." When Tony's vision cleared, Gibbs was gone. Tony looked to his left. Everyone was smiling at him, each with sadness in his or her eyes, but somehow they all seemed brighter. Tony looked down at Ziva.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Tony smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "I am now." He watched as Ziva took Alex's hand and began to walk down the hill with all the others.

Without another word, Tony looked at the tombstone I front of him.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs

1951-2008

Finally with Shannon, Kelly

and Jennifer

Semper Fi

With one last look, Tony mimicked the action that Gibbs had given him so many times. Tony slapped himself over the head as a mark of respect. Seemingly odd to some, this action spoke more than anything Tony could have ever said.

"Dad!" Alex yelled from halfway down the hill.

Tony turned away from the tombstone and looked down at his family. Each person had had a part in his life and for that he was truly grateful. Tony ran down the hill and smiled at Ziva, taking Alex's other hand a swinging him above the ground. He smiled as Alex laughed with glee. Tony looked at McGee, holding Abby's hand. Palmer had his arm around Lee's waste and Ducky was walking beside them, presumably telling them some sort of story. Tony was glad to have his family happy again, but he would never forget the man that had given his life for Tony's happiness. And he truly was happy.

* * *

A/N: So there you go. Hope you liked it. Please review. Thanks for reading.


End file.
